What I've Been Waiting for
by Sword-WieldingDemigod12697
Summary: We've read the story about Seaweed Brain's 1st summer at Camp Half-Blood and his quest for the master bolt. But what about Wise Girl? sorry i suck at summaries. basically lightning thief from Annabeth's POV. rated just in case
1. What I Get at 5 AM

**12/12/09: Okay, I wrote this months ago, this first chapter isn't as good as the other chapters. Feel free to skip this one.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, or anyone else. The brilliant Rick Riordan does.

Chapter 1

_Di Immortales,_ I thought to myself. _Will I ever get out of here?_ As if answering my question, more thunder boomed in the distance. I sat up in bed and looked out the window of Cabin Six.

Outside the borders of Camp Half-Blood, a hurricane was blowing. I lay back down, trying to sleep. It was too dark to read the clock hanging on the wall, but I was guessing it was very early morning. I had only slept for a number of hours before waking up to the sound of thunder.

As I had nothing to do, I prayed to the gods, hoping to get a sign, any sign. I needed a quest. _What are you doing, Annabeth? _I thought to myself. _ You've been here for five years. If you can't get a quest after that, it's obvious you won't get one._

After lying down with my eyes closed for what seemed like forever, I gave up on trying to go back to sleep. I sat up and crossed my legs. Subconsciously, my hand moved up to my neck, and I felt the college ring on my camp necklace that...Dad gave to me. I didn't like thinking about my father, much less talk about him. I shook my head, and tried to clear those thoughts away.

As I fingered the painted clay beads, I recalled the memories of when I was just a little girl, seven years old, on the run with Thalia and Luke….. Luke. Lately, I wasn't sure how I felt about Luke. Suddenly, he wasn't just my friend who went on the run with me. I found myself acting weird around him. Just the thought of Luke, his blonde hair, the scar on his face that only made him look braver….. _Stop it, it's just Luke._ I looked out the window again, watching as the storm outside pounded on.

That's when I saw the big shadow, running towards Thalia's pine tree. In front of the tree was a boy, waving what looked like a red raincoat. Then I saw the horns on the head of the shadow. That big thing was the Minotaur. _No, it can't be._ The kid would have to be a demigod. But what if he was? He would have to be the stupidest half-blood I'd seen so far. Why was he in front of a pine tree, waving a red raincoat while the monster charged at him? _Dead meat,_ I thought.

Poor guy. I couldn't watch. I turned my head away for about two seconds, then looked back out the window. The guy was… WHAT? He was piggybacking the monster, holding on to his horn. I got out of bed and ran to the Big House, leaving my cabinmates stirring in their bunks.

I pounded on the door, yelling, "CHIRON! MR. D! OPEN UP!!!" I was hoping Chiron would answer, knowing that Mr. D would probably turn me into a bunch of grapes for disturbing him. Mercifully, Chiron opened the door. "Annabeth? _Di Immortales,_ what are you doing here? It's 5 AM!" he said. "By Thalia's pine…. Monster… half-blood." was all I could say. I was still recovering from shock. I looked up at Chiron. "Come inside. Tell me exactly what you mean." After telling him about the silhouettes I saw through the windows, I wasn't exactly sure if it was all real. Chiron said, "I shall go out and see the matter for myself." As he reached for the door, we heard a _thud_ outside.

I ran outside to see a black-haired boy drag a satyr up the steps and collapse on the porch. Chiron and I stood over him, and I felt a surge of hope pass through me. "He's the one. He must be." The words came out of my mouth before I had a second thought. "Silence, Annabeth." Chiron said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."


	2. How to Deal with the Dimwitted

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan does. I wish I did…..

_FROM THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER:_

_I ran outside to see a black-haired boy drag a satyr up the steps and collapse on the porch. Chiron and I stood over him, and I felt a surge of hope pass through me._

_ "He's the one. He must be." The words came out of my mouth before I had a second thought. _

_"Silence, Annabeth." Chiron said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."_

Chapter 2

I stared at the black-haired boy lying on the porch. He looked about my age, a bit shorter.

The satyr next to him moaned, "_FOOOOD!!!"_. Typical Grover…. Wait, Grover? So THAT'S where he was. All I knew was that Grover had sensed a strong half-blood in Manhattan and called Chiron. Apparently, the boy was the half-blood who was 'special'. He had to be the one.

With difficulty, I carried him onto the deck chair. I put a pillow behind his neck and a blanket over his legs. I turned around to find Grover coming to his senses.

"Grover? Are you alright?" I asked.

He sat up. "Hmm….? Where's Percy? The monster… is it gone? Oh, Annabeth! Hey! Um, why am I at the Big House? How did I get here?" He stood up and brushed the dust off his furry behind.

"That boy, he dragged you all the way here from Thalia's pine. The monster… was that, you know, Pasiphae's son?"

"Yup. Pretty scary. Um, excuse me."

He got up and went inside to the Big House. I sat on the railing, looking up at the sky, which was clearing up. Then I remembered about the summer solstice. I didn't know exactly what was so important about it, only Chiron and the satyrs knew.

I had heard only a bit of their conversations, and the only information I ended up with was that something was stolen.

_Wait a minute…._ I thought. _Maybe that kid knows something. He isn't awake yet, but I'll find out something soon. I need that quest._

I walked into the Big House to see Grover wearing his "human" disguise, watching as Chiron and Mr. D played pinochle. After filling up a glass with nectar and a bowl with ambrosia, I set it on the table next to Percy. I sat there, putting my hand on his forehead, adjusting the pillow, pulling up the blankets and spoon-feeding him ambrosia. He mumbled something about his evil math teacher Mrs. Dodds, who apparently was a Fury. I couldn't help smile at how the boy looked so… so… I don't know, cute? Whatever.

Finally, he stirred and opened his eyes. I looked at him and said, "What will happen on the summer solstice?"

"What?" he muttered weakly.

I looked around; making sure no one was listening. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"

He looked confused. He mumbled, "I'm sorry. I don't…"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, and I shoved ambrosia in his mouth. He was asleep again. I left the glass of nectar beside him and went to breakfast.

When I got there, I filled my plate with eggs and bacon in silence, and dumped some omelet into the fire. _Athena, please, please let him be the one. I need to get out of here. I need to find out about the solstice._

With that, I sat down with my cabinmates at our table. "Hey, Annabeth. Where've you been?" said Delilah, one of my half-sisters.

"We woke up and you were gone."

"Hope you don't mind," said Sora. "but we cleaned your stuff, too. Wanna get a good cabin inspection score."

"Whatever." I said. "New guy. Fought a monster by Thalia's pine. I was taking care of him. He's pretty worn out." I finished my bacon and stood up. "See ya later."

I went back to the Big House to see the boy with black hair still sleeping. I chuckled at how he drooled in his sleep. Leaning on the railing in front of him was Grover, with a shoe box in his hand. Whatever it was, I didn't really want to know. I walked around to the other side of the porch, where Mr. D and Chiron and played pinochle. I never got the game, but it was a kinda amusing sight to watch.

Soon after, Grover and the new guy walked towards us. "….the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron…" I heard Grover say.

"Mr. Brunner!" said the boy. _Mr Brunner? Oh, I get it. He taught the guy._

I stood there watching introductions and such, until I heard Chiron say, "Annabeth?" I came forward and looked at the boy. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now." Said Chiron.

I saw the box that Grover had in Percy's hands, and inside was the horn of the Minotaur. _Wow. _I thought. _What do I say? _I said the first thing that came to mind. "You drool when you sleep." I said. _WHAT THE HADES?!?!? _I gave my best "I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world" look and turned around once I realized what I said. Naturally, I sprinted away as fast I could.

I stopped once I got to the cabins, and sauntered over to my cabin, the Athena cabin. I grabbed my architecture book from under my pillow, then made my way over to Cabin Eleven. I walked inside, stepping over countless sleeping bags and possessions, and found a spot on the floor. It was the only room they had. _Good enough,_ I thought. _He's the one, he's the one. _Then I stood outside and cracked open my book.

About 10 minutes and 2 chapters later, Chiron and Percy arrived. I looked at Percy, studying him. _How can he not know anything about the solstice? I wonder who his parent is…_ He looked at my book, trying to figure out what it was about.

"Annabeth," Chiron said. "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

"Yes, sir." I said. Chiron then turned to Percy and said, "Cabin Eleven. Make yourself at home."

After the rest of the Hermes cabin bowed to him, Chiron said, "Well, then. Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner." and trotted away. Percy didn't move. "Well?" I said. "Go on."

He tripped as he entered the cabin, causing snickers from several campers. "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven." I announced. "Regular or undetermined?" asked Stephen Masterson.

"Undetermined." I said. Everyone groaned.

Then, Luke came forward and I forgot everything else. "Now, now, campers," he said. "That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there.

"This is Luke." I said. I felt my cheeks turn hot. I saw Percy looking at me, and hardened my expression. "He's your counselor for now."

Luke explained to Percy how he was undetermined and how cabin eleven takes all the newbies. "How long will I be here?" Percy asked.

"Good question." said Luke. "Until you're determined."

"How long will that take?" asked Percy.

_WHAT??? 'How long will it take'?!?!?! Gods, how can he be the one….?_ Everyone laughed.

"Come on. I'll show you the volleyball court." I said, desperate to find a way to talk to him.

"I've already seen it."

"Come on." I grabbed him by the wrist at pulled him outside.

Once we were out, I looked at him and said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."

"What?" he asked. _Someone's a bit dim-witted. _I rolled my eyes and whispered to myself, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."

"What's your problem?" he asked angrily. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy—"

"Don't talk like that!" I said. _Doesn't he see how lucky he is?_ "You know how many kids at camp wish they'd had you chance?"

"To get killed?"

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" I said.

He shook his head, saying "Look, if the thing I fought really was _THE_ Minotaur, the same one in the stories…"

"Yes."

"Then there's only one."

"Yes."

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So…"

"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die."

"Oh, thanks." he said with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "That clears it up."

"They don't have souls, like you and me." I explained. "You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they re-form."

"You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword—"

I realized he was talking about the Fury/math teacher. "The Fur… I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad."

"How do you know about Mrs. Dodds?" he asked.

I said, "You talk in your sleep."

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"

_He IS that dumb….._ I looked down. "You shouldn't call them by name," I warned him. "Not even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."

"Look, is there anything we _can _say without it thundering?" I could swear he was whining. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." He pointed to the first three cabins.

I had to explain to him that who your parent is determines which cabin you're in. He said that his mom was named Sally Jackson, and that she worked in a candy store.

"At least, she used to." Percy said.

I told him that I meant his dad. "He's dead. I never knew him." said Percy.

_Here we go again…._ "Your father's not dead, Percy."

Like all the rest, he argued. I told him I knew because I know him. Percy.

"You don't know anything about me."

I was going to enjoy this. "No?" I raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."

He looked dumbfounded. "How—"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, obviously embarrassed.

_Here goes. . . the moment of truth._ "Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because you mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's you battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."

"You sound like. . . you went through the same thing?" he half said, half asked.

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."

"Ambrosia and nectar." he said, trying to get it straight.

"That food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've turned your blood to fire and bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."

Then, out of the things that could've happened next, one of the worst possible happened.

* * *

**_A/N: ok... sorry if it's too much like in the book. that was most of what i was going for. please read and review!!! the first five people to review will get their own character in the capture-the-flag sequence. . . I can't say whether you'll be on the athena side or ares side.... anyway, thanks!_**

**_~Sword-WieldingDemigod12697_**


	3. Toilet Water and Revelations

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan does. **

"_You sound like. . . you went through the same thing?" he half said, half asked._

"_Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."_

"_Ambrosia and nectar." he said, trying to get it straight._

"_That food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've turned your blood to fire and bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."_

_Then, out of the things that could've happened next, one of the worst possible happened._

Chapter 3

I heard a familiar gruff voice say, "Well! A newbie!"

It was—"Clarisse," I said. _Wow, usually she just punches the new guy at first sight. _She was accompanied by Lina Demoterra, Selene Masterson, and Mary Ramon. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?" I said, trying to sound as harsh as possible.

She looked at me like she was Hera and I was Hercules. "Sure, Ms. Princess," she scowled. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."

I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. "_Erre es korakas!"_ I yelled. "You don't stand a chance."

"We'll pulverize you." she said, as she turned to Percy. "Who's this little runt?"

"Percy Jackson, meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares." Percy blinked. "Like. . . the war god?"

_No,_ I thought sarcastically. _The rapper! Gods, he's gonna get it._

Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"

"No. It explains the smell." Said Percy. NOW_ he's dead meat._

"We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy. Come on, I'll show you." She grabbed Percy.

"Clarisse—"I said.

"Stay out of it, wise girl."

Percy handed me the minotaur horn, and was dragged by Clarisse to the girls' bathroom. I felt sorry for Percy. I'm sorry, but the sight made me laugh a bit. Percy was kicking and punching, but Clarisse held him away, so he was basically hurting the air.

I watched as they disappeared past the bathroom doorway, then followed. I could see through my fingers that Clarisse pushing a struggling Percy toward a toilet bowl, saying something to her friends about 'Big Three' material.

Percy was bet over the toilet bowl, and I braced for the worst. The worst never came.

Suddenly, water shot out of the toilet in a curve and Clarisse was screaming. The water started pushing Clarisse onto her butt. Soon all the other toilets spewed water, along with the showers. I was soaked as I watched Clarisse, Lina, Selene, and Mary spin out of the bathroom on a sewage water current.

I dropped my hands away from my face and stared at Percy, dumbfounded. He was sitting on a dry spot. The only one in the bathroom. I replayed the incident again in my head. _This can't be good. . . it can't be._

As Percy stood up, I said, "How—How did you. . .?"

"I don't know." he said.

We walked out the door to meet Clarisse and her muddy friends. "You are dead, new boy." She told Percy. "Totally dead."

"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse?" he asked. "Close your mouth."

I thought of earlier, how Clarisse planned on running me through with her spear Friday night. . . Friday night was capture the flag. I then thought of what Percy had done in the bathroom. I just stood there gaping at him.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"I'm thinking," I said, "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."

As I showed Percy the rest of camp, people repeatedly stared at us. I showed him the metal shop, arts-and-crafts room, climbing wall, and other places.

"I've got training to do." I told him after the tour. "Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."

"Annabeth," he said, "I'm sorry about the toilets."

I replied with a flat "Whatever."

"It wasn't my fault." He said. _Really? Sure? Ugh… whatever._

"You need to talk to the Oracle," I told him.

"Who?"

I tried not to roll my eyes. "Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron."

He looked into the lake, stared for a while, then waved. _Ugh. Stupid naiads._

"Don't encourage them. Naiads are terrible flirts." I said.

"Naiads," he said. "That's it. I want to go home now." _Is he crazy?_ I thought.

"Don't you get it, Percy?" I frowned. "You _are_ home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?" he said.

"I mean _not human_. Not totally human. Half-human." I said.

"Half-human and half-what?"

"I think you know." _If you can't answer this, I will forget I ever thought you were the one._

"God," he said. "Half-god." _Thank Zeus, you know something!_

I nodded. "Your father isn't dead. He's an Olympian." Percy looked as if Clarisse had succeeded in dunking his head in the toilet.

"That's. . . crazy."

"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last millennia?"

"But those are just—" _Myths? _I thought. _Would you dare to call them myths?_ Percy continued, "But if all the kids here are half-gods—" _Half-gods?_ This time I couldn't help but correct him.

"Demigods," I said. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."

"Then who's your dad?" _My dad. . . _My hands clenched the railing on the pier. As I mentioned, I didn't exactly like my. . . dad.

"My dad is a professor at West Point. I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."

_See, Annabeth?_ I said to myself. _That wasn't that bad. . . _I was starting to feel proud of myself, but then Percy ruined it by talking.

"He's human." he said. THAT ticked me off. "What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"

"Who's your mom, then?"

"Cabin Six," I said, proudly.

"Meaning. . . ?"

I straightened up, full of pride for my mother. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."

"And my dad?" asked Percy.

I tried really hard not to roll my eyes. "Undetermined, like I told you before. Nobody knows."

"Except my mother. She knew." He said.

"Maybe not, Percy." I said. "Gods don't always reveal their identities."

"My dad would have. He loved her." _Poor guy, _I thought. _If he doesn't get a sign. . . well, I won't burst his bubble._

"Maybe you're right." I told him. "Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens." I prayed silently to the gods, hoping I was right.

"You mean sometimes it doesn't?"

"The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don't always. . . Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us." _Like my father. . . _He interrupted my thought. "So I'm stuck here," he said retorted.

"That's it? For the rest of my life?"

"It depends," I said. "Some campers only stay for the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble— about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."

"So monsters can't get in here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside."

"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?"

"Practice fights. Practical jokes."

"_Practical jokes?"_

"The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm.

"So. . . you're a year-rounder?" he asked.

I nodded as I pulled out my camp necklace. "I've been here since I was seven," I said. "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the counselors, and they're all in college." I explained.

"Why did you come so young?" he said. _And it all comes back to. . .guess who?! DAD!_

I played with the college ring on my necklace. "None of your business."

"Oh." He stood there, awkwardly silent. "So. . . I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted?"

_Looks like somebody has a death wish. . . _"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's of Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of summer session unless. . . " _you got a quest._

"Unless. . . ?"he asked. "You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time. . ." I couldn't bring myself to say it.

He changed the subject—sort of. "Back in the sick room, when you were feeding me that stuff—"

"Ambrosia," I corrected.

"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."

_Does he know? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease. . . _"So you _do_ know something?"

"Well . . . no." My heart dropped. Again. "Back at my old school," he continued, "I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"

"I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so. . . so _normal._"

"You've been to Olympus?" he asked. "Some of us year-rounders—Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others—we took a field trip during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."

"But. . . how did you get there?" he asked, somehow amazed.

"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor. You _are_ a New Yorker, right?" I could tell he lost me at 'six hundredth floor'.

"Oh, sure." He said. I continued. "right after we visited, the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there's going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping . . . I mean—Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."

"I've got to get a quest…" I mumbled to myself. "I'm _not_ too young. If they would just tell me the problem . . . " At that, I heard Percy's stomach growl. "Go ahead. Dinner's starting soon." He left, and I stood there, tracing random shapes onto the railing.

After a while, I went back to the Athena cabin. Everyone was lining up, and I ran to my spot in the front. We all sat down once we got to the tables, and Chiron stomped his hoof, and raised his goblet. "To the gods!" he said.

We all did the same. "To the gods!"

Then, as always, the nymphs came by with the platters of food, and I filled my plate with barbeque and a couple of strawberries. I walked up to the sacrificial fire and pushed some bbq in. _Athena, please, grant that I am granted a quest. . . _It was the same prayer I'd been reciting since I was seven.

I went back to my seat, and sat down next to Nike Samuels and Minerva Gandamo. "Who's on our team for Capture the Flag, Annabeth?" said Nike. "It's Hermes, Apollo, and us." I said. The rest are with the Ares cabin."

"Hermes?"said Minerva. "Why them? I mean, it's just a bunch of undetermined half-bloods? Well, we'll figure out a strategy, right, Annabeth? Like always."

"Well," I said, "There's a new guy, and he's got some pretty powerful ability. I think he may be a key asset. . . his name is—" I was cut off by the sound of Chiron pounding his hoof again. Mr. D stood up. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."

_Not for long._I heard the Ares kids cheer, but it sounded more like an ugly roar. Mr. D continued, "Personally, I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."

Chiron mumbled something to him, most probably a correction to Percy's name. "Er, Percy Jackson, I mean. That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."

We all shouted joyfully, and went down to the amphitheater.

"Is that who you were talking about?" said Nike. I kept quiet, trying to think. We all sang the same songs, same fire. All we could think about was capture the flag. Once the campfire was done, we went silently back to our cabins. It wasn't long before I fell asleep, and dreamt of Luke.

* * *

**A/N: So, I won't be writing a lot in a while, cuz I promised 2 lend my copy of Lightning Thief to my BFFL. Please read and review!!!**

**REVIEW REVIEW!!! The contest is still going on, so the first 5 people to review get their own character in the capture the flag scene! I can't write til I get them! So please, click the lil green button. Oh, and if you're one of the first 5, I'll PM you and ask several questions so I can make your character. thanks!!!!! **

**~Sword-WieldingDemigod12697**


	4. Author's Note

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson._**

**A/N: Hey!!! I'm getting my book back on Sunday, so I'm gonna get writing soon. At least, I will be until I get several more reviews. If I've responded to your review, asking for u to PM me about a character in the capture-the-flag sequence, either PM me and give the info needed (it's in the reply to your review message), or if you don't want a character, u can just tell me. **

**I also wanna thank Ben Keto1415, he's the first guy to respond and stuff, so thanks ben! also, WhisperMaw and AnnleaDaughterofZeus were the others who reviewed. Can't wait to get more response! I can't write without it. Thank you soooo much. **

**Write soon,**

** Sword-WieldingDemigod12697 **


	5. The Impact of CapturetheFlag

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan does. **

* * *

**Hey peoples!!!!! Ok, I finally got myself to write, and I have 3 OC characters from those who reviewed, plus Minerva and Nike, who are OCs that me and my BFFE made a looong time ago for another book we wrote.**

**Thank you to Ben Keto1415, whose OC, Alex of the Athena cabin, was the first to be created/sent to moi!**

**Thank you also to Shorty & KG Inc, the other two awesome peoplez, whose featured OCs are Liz, from Hermes, and Kris from Apollo! They also pointed out an error that I have now fixed, so thank you again guyz! XD**

**Also, a shout-out to my friends at school, aww. . . school starts on the 24th, but its gonna be great for us Trojans, cuz we rule, right?**

**Anna Banana!!!! My BFFE!!!!! You'll be seeing a LOT of TINAD references.**

**And again, to all of you reading, thank you sooo much!**

* * *

**Previous Chapter**

"_Is that who you were talking about?" said Nike. _

_I kept quiet, trying to think. We all sang the same songs, same fire. All we could think about was capture the flag. Once the campfire was done, we went silently back to our cabins. It wasn't long before I fell asleep, and dreamt of Luke._

* * *

**The Impact of Capture-the-Flag**

The following days weren't so different from camp life before Percy had arrived, except for the fact that I had to teach the dumb guy to read in Ancient Greek. It was as easy as getting Mr. D to get my name right, but it was better than going to Sword & Shield and facing Clarisse.

I could tell Percy was still a bit weirded out about the whole _The gods are real! _concept, but I let him adjust by talking about the immortal ones with him.

Other than that, my days were pretty normal and boring. I'd sit around, trying to think what in Hades had happened in the bathroom the other day.

_Power over water like that. . . . Poseidon? No, that's not possible. It can't be. It just can't. But Poseidon and Athena. . . ugh. Well, let's look on the bright side! It could be Zeus, for all I know. He's probably a forbidden child, Zeus and all. . . Zeus. . . Thalia. _

Then I'd be reminiscing about the old days, 5 years ago, when we were all carefree (well, not really, but you know what I mean) and Thalia was still there.

Finally, Friday came and the whole dining pavilion was buzzing about capture-the-flag. The Ares kids were laughing and belching loudly, which seemed to me was always their pre-capture-the-flag ritual. My cabin, on the other hand, was deep in conversation. Plus, I had a strategy that would probably get me a new enemy. . . .

"Annabeth!!!!"

I turned to see Minerva running to the table. Her black-dyed streaks against her blonde hair looked somewhat messed up by the firelight. She was balancing the food stacked on her plate.

Nike snickered (**A/N: I L VE the word 'snicker', so you'll see that a lot XD) **and then stuffed her face with fettuccine alfredo (sp?).

"Hey Minnie, what's up?" I said.

"Well, I wanna know what your strategy is with that Jackson kid."

"Well, I'm not sure, cuz if I DO use what I have in mind, it maight make him hate me. And if he's the one who's gonna get me a quest —"

Nike gulped and rolled her eyes at me. "Annabeth, not to put you down or anything, but you've been here for about, what, five years? Sweetie, you honestly need to forget this quest business."

"But I _have_ to believe! If I give up now and the opportunity is just around the corner, I'd have wasted my five long years."

"Let's just forget this for now," Minerva piped up. "So, what's your strategy that's gonna get you a new enemy?"

"Well, I could use Percy as bait— I mean, put him on border patrol."

I think I said it a bit too loud, because I got mixed reactions — looks of horror and big grins — from my siblings.

I stood up and went to the Hermes table. "Put Percy on border patrol." I whispered to Luke.

When I got back to the table, Minerva and Nike followed me to go get the flag. When the conch horn blew, we ran into the pavilion, displaying the gray flag. Clarisse and her thugs ran in from the opposite side, and Chiron stomped his hoof.

"Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. . . "

He said the whole pre-game speech, as always, and soon our armor appeared at our table. We strapped it on. "Blue team, forward!" I shouted, and we marched into the woods. _Maybe I can just help him with border patrol. . ._ I thought.

Soon, I heard a voice behind me say, "Hey."

It was Percy Jackson. I tried to ignore him and kept walking.

"So what's the plan? Got any magic items you can loan me?"

My hand flew to my pocket, where I stowed my Yankees cap. If he meant my invisibility hat, I was going to leave him by the creek with Clarisse and just stand there and watch.

"Just watch Clarisse's spear. You don't want that thing touching you." I said. "Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you you job?"

"Border patrol, whatever that means."

_It's working. . ._"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."

I sprinted on, leaving him behind. When I caught up with the rest of the team, we gathered by the Trojan Horse, a titanic boulder somewhat shaped like a horse. We planted the flag under the horse, which was pretty difficult because the "horse" was tall, but it had short, stubby legs. You' would have to crawl on all fours to get it, then climb back out.

"Ok. Alex and Aleksis, I want you to guard the flag. One of you stand by the front and back. You got your swords? Good. Don't let anyone through." They took their positions, maneuvering their swords in the air as if beating up an invisible opponent. "Remember the strategies we discussed in the cabin last night. Kay?"

"Yeah!!!! Let's go!" said Alex.

Aleksis looked ready as ever. "Let's PWN em!!!!"

_PWN???? I never saw the point in that. _"Ok. Luke, you, Maddie and Jimi go straight around the flank. If you see it, Luke, I want you to get the flag and Maddie, Jimi, I want you to defend." _Let Luke get the flag. . . Let Luke get the flag. . ._

"Sean, I want you to lead the rest of Hermes straight across. Liz, can you use your shoes and see if you can find where they hid the flag?"

"Of course I can!" She yelled. Then her shoes sprouted wings and she flew in a circle before coming back down.

"Mimi, lead the Apollo cabin to the right. Kris, since you have a concealed bow, I want you to distract the red team. Walk in, and make sure your bow is in flashlight mode. Keep it in your pocket. Sneak in, and when they're within shooting range, get 'em. Hopefully it'll distract the others."

I whipped out my cap and continued.

"Nike and Greg, I want you guys to station the rest of Athena on defense. Spread out from around one-eighth to three-fourths of a mile from the Horse. I'll be scouting around the woods." With that, I put on my cap and the conch horn blew. Everyone ran to their positions, and the air was filled with yells and cries. I ran back to where I left Percy. I dodged in and out of mini-battles.

I saw Nike and Greg battling side-by-side, holding off Sam Rose of the Demeter cabin, whose nature skills were so powerful, she could've been a satyr, for all I know.

I reached the creek and saw Percy get pushed into the creek. He had a long gash across his arm. I was about to draw my knife when he stood up and knocked Jared Lypon's helmet off, sending Jared tumbling into the creek. He slammed Vince Irowale in the face and cut off Trent Bayani's horsehair plume. I could see Mary Ramon just standing there, and Clarisse ran at Percy. He caught the shaft of her spear between his shield and sword, and snapped it. Percy. Snapped. Clarisse's. Spear.

"Ah! You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!" yelled Clarisse. She was probably gonna curse him, but then Percy's sword-butt introduced itself to the spot right between her eyes.

Right then, I saw Luke run to the boundary line with Liz and Jamal Freeman behind him. In Luke's hands was the flag, and as Maddie and Jimi fought off Beckendorf and David from Hephaestus, he crossed the creek and the flag turned silver and replaced the boar and spear with a caduceus.

I walked over to Percy and said, "Not bad, hero."

He looked around, as if he couldn't see me. _Duh, of course he can't see you. You're wearing your hat. . . _"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" I asked, as I took off my Yankees cap.

"You set me up. You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out."

He was pretty mad, but I put on my poker face and shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."

"A plan to get me pulverized."

I had to protect my chance of going on my quest. "I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but. . . You didn't need help."

I looked at his arm, to check how bad his cut was, but it wasn't there. There was a long scar, but it faded into nothing_. He's standing in the water. . . the water. . . no, it can't be. It can't._

"I—I don't get it," he said, astonished.

Water healing him. . . power over water. . . Athena. . . Poseidon. . . I was thinking so hard, I could almost feel gray hairs sproutingfrom my head **(A/N: haha sry for the Titan's Curse reference. . . I just had to put that in)**.

"Step out of the water, Percy."

"What—"

"Just do it."

He stepped out, and immediately he almost collapsed. I had to keep him from falling over. _This is not happening. . . THIS IS NOT HAPPENING._

_"_Oh, Styx. This is _not_ good. I didn't want. . . I assumed it would be Zeus. . ."

I was cut off by the sound of a howl that almost knocked me over. It echoed through the trees.

Chiron shouted, "Stasi etoimi! To tokso moy! Stand ready! My bow!" **(A/N: This probably isn't accurate, because I babelfish'd the english text, then converted the greek letters to english lettering. So if anyone out there knows ancient greek, please be my guest and tell me the correct way of saying it :D)**

I drew my sword and saw a hellhound standing on the rocks above. And I was looking straight at Percy.

"Percy, run!" I yelled. I tried to get in front of him, but the hellhound was quicker. It hit Percy. Just then, Chiron shot about forty arrows at the hellhound's neck, and it fell dead.

"_Di Immortales!_ That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't . . . they're not supposed to. . ."

"Someone summoned it," said Chiron. "Someone inside the camp."

"It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!" Clarisse shouted, obviously still furious about her spear.

Chiron said, "Be quiet, child."

I looked at Percy, and saw that his armor was shredded, and his shirt was stained with blood. "You're wounded." I said. Then I remembered what had happened when he stood in the creek. "Quick, Percy," I said. "Get in the water."

He said one of the stupidest things in the world. "I'm okay."

"No, you're not. Chiron, watch this."

Percy stepped back into the creek. The moment he stepped in, I knew my life was never going to be the same. Above Percy's head was a trident, glowing green, spinning.

"Look, I—I don't know why. I'm sorry. . ."

"Percy, um. . ." I pointed to the sign above his head. He looked up, trying to understand what was going on. "Your father," I muttered. "This is _really_ not good."

"It is determined!" Chiron declared. I kneeled down, along with everyone else.

"My father?" he asked.

"Poseidon," Chiron announced. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

I thought to myself._ I am so screwed._

* * *

**haha sry if the ending was a bit OOC. Yayy!!! I finally finished this chapter!!!! clapclapclap!**

**So. . . For the next chapter, I want to ask you.Who do you think left the newspaper article about Percy and his mother on Percy's bed? Do you think it was Annabeth? Clarisse? Someone else? Give me your feedback on that and this chapter. I can't write without your reviews, so please click that brilliant green button!**

**Also, I'm working on an iPod Shuffle Challenge story. You might wanna check it out. **

**/s/5317900/1/iPod_Shuffle_Challenge_PJO_style**

**VERY IMPORTANT: My School starts on Monday, so I won't be able to update as often (psh. . . like i was updating, but you get the point). I'll try to update at least every two weeks. Also, It would be wonderful to have even more people to read this, so if you really like it, please send it on to your friends and the rest of us PJO fans out there!**

**Thank you sooo much!**

**Peace, Love, Fencing, and Pumpkin Pie!!!**

**~Sword-WieldingDemigod12697**


	6. Five Years, and THIS is what I get!

**Disclaimer: The Brilliant Mr. Rick Riordan owns Percy Jackson. . . for now.**

**K, I'm just gonna write as much as I can cuz it's the last day of summer, (everyone now, "AWWWWW. . ..") so I wanna thank all of you! I don't really know what else I'm gonna have to say, so I'm gonna go start writing now!**

_

* * *

_

Percy stepped back into the creek. The moment he stepped in, I knew my life was never going to be the same. Above Percy's head was a trident, glowing green, spinning.  
"Look, I—I don't know why. I'm sorry. . ."  
"Percy, um. . ." I pointed to the sign above his head. He looked up, trying to understand what was going on. "Your father," I muttered. "This is

_really__ not good."  
"It is determined!" Chiron declared. I kneeled down, along with everyone else.  
"My father?" he asked.  
"Poseidon," Chiron announced. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."_

_I thought to myself.__ I am so screwed._

* * *

**Five years, and NOW what do I do?!?!?!? **

I was absolutely miserable. When my opportunity finally came, It had to be bundled along with a seaweed brain son of Poseidon. I was almost positive that the summer solstice deadline had something to do with Poseidon. He had probably done something immortally stupid. If so, I was NOT surprised.

I had to undergo torture every morning, teaching the seaweed brain Ancient Greek, as always, but I'd try to keep him quiet as much as possible. When he did open his mouth, I'd just sneer. After lessons, I'd find myself going, "I have to get a Quest. But should I go with a son of Poseidon? He's probably a Dirty Rotten freak. Got To Make A Plan. . ." **(A/N: If you're wondering why some of the words are capitalized, it's cuz in Lightning Thief, those are the only words Percy hears. I just made up the rest of it.)**

One day, I was walking back from archery, when I saw Clarisse walk out of Cabin Three. She looked around, but she didn't see me. I was the only one near. Then, she went around the cabin and ran away in the direction of the climbing wall. I did the natural thing and snuck inside.

On one of the bunks was what looked like a ripped piece of a newspaper article. I picked it up and began reading.

**BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER FREAK CAR ACCIDENT,** read the headline. I read the rest and found out Percy's story. At the bottom of the page was a phone number circled in black marker. I dropped the article and ran out the back of the cabin.

_That's it, _I thought. _I _have_ to find out what's going on. What's going to happen on summer solstice?_

I ran to the Big House, preparing to demand that Chiron tell me everything and anything there was to know about the solstice deadline. I was a step away from touching the doorknob, when I heard a conversation through the open window.

". . . Percy needs the quest, sir." I heard Grover say. I put on my cap and looked into the window. I saw Grover talking to Chiron, who was sitting in his magic wheelchair.

"I don't know, Grover. The boy has only been here a few days. But if you think it is necessary, I will consider it."

I was nodding my head, in my mind, I was going,_ A quest! Di Immortales, finally! But, then, he's a son of Poseidon. . . Oh, Styx._

I looked up to see Grover and Chiron staring at me. How could they see me? I looked down and saw my hat on the ground. It had fallen off, and apparently I had gone into a nodding frenzy.

"Uh. . . hey. A quest?"

Chiron looked at me with concern. "Annabeth, I know that this is what you've been waiting for for five years now. Would you like to volunteer to go on the quest with Percy? It has to do with the summer solstice deadline."

It took all me courage not to jump up and down, screaming "YES! OF COURSE!", because then the fact that Percy's father was my mothers enemy popped back into my head.

"Uhm. . . . I—Can I get back to you on that?" I replied, suddenly very unsure.

"Just make sure you give me an answer by before lights out," was Chiron's reply.

That's when the conch horn blew from the dining pavilion. I walked over to the Athena cabin.

"Cabin Six, fall in!" I said, and we walked to the pavilion, my head swimming with the pros and cons of going on a quest with Seaweed Brain over there. The nymphs served us plates of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Without a word, I led my cabin to the fire, where I scraped my drumstick into the fire, with a prayer. _Mother, I need to know. Is this my quest? With a son of _Poseidon_???_

When we all sat down, everyone stared at me as if I had just announced, "I got a pet spider!!!!"

"What?" I asked.

"Annabeth, are you ok?" asked Amisare. **(A/N: I L VE that name!!!! Weird, but it's a _LOOOOONG_ story. Very long. If you're in my class, then you'll get it. XD)**

"Huh? What? I feel fine!" I said.

"You're upset, confused about something." said Nike. "I've never seen you like this since you found out that Logan was a son of Aphrodite. You were so disappointed that he wasn't 'the one', or whatever you mean by that minotaur crap."

"Well. . ." I said. "I've been offered an opportunity to go a quest."

"But, isn't that what you've been waiting for since you were seven?" asked Alex.

"But it's not that simple," I said. "It's to go on a quest with Percy Jackson."

I could've proclaimed that spiders were more superior than owls, for the reaction I received.

Minerva was on the edge of a panic attack. "Wha—WHAT?!?!?! The son of Poseidon? This is going to take all of us. But, are you crazy?"

"Gods, Minnie," said Alex. "Just calm down. It's not like Typhon is back. Annabeth, just think about it. It's what I _you_ think."

I sat there, silent, for the rest of the night. At the end of dinner, we went back to the cabin. I slipped out for a moment, and went to the Big House.

I knocked on the door, and Chiron opened the door.

"Chiron," I said. "Count me in."

* * *

**oooookkkk!!!!! haha I didn't get to finish on sunday, it's Thursday now. School's full in session, and so far, I'm actually loving it! Haha well, sorry for the short chapter, just trying to get as much done as I can, I have to go to fencing now, so this is just kinda acting as a filler and keeping my story on the first pages of the PJO section. . . XD**

**Peace, Love, Fencing, and Pumpkin Pie,**

~Sword-WieldingDemigod12697


	7. The Quest Begins

**Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan. So I must not own PJO!**

* * *

_Well. . ." I said. "I've been offered an opportunity to go a quest."  
"But, isn't that what you've been waiting for since you were seven?" asked Alex.  
"But it's not that simple," I said. "It's to go on a quest with Percy Jackson."  
I could've proclaimed that spiders were more superior than owls, for the reaction I received.  
Minerva was on the edge of a panic attack. "Wha—WHAT?!?!?! The son of Poseidon? This is going to take all of us. But, are you crazy?"  
"Gods, Minnie," said Alex. "Just calm down. It's not like Typhon is back. Annabeth, just think about it. It's what I you think."  
I sat there, silent, for the rest of the night. At the end of dinner, we went back to the cabin. I slipped out for a moment, and went to the Big House.  
I knocked on the door, and Chiron opened the door._

_"Chiron," I said. "Count me in."_

_

* * *

_

**The Quest Begins**

Chiron had told me to come to the Big House the next morning once I woke up. It had taken me about three hours to get to sleep.

I dreamt that a boar had come across Luke, and was accusing Luke of taking something. Luke was about to open his mouth, when I woke up and sat bolt upright. I decided to let that dream fade from my mind as I walked into the bathroom and washed my face. After taking a shower, I pulled on a plain gray tee and a pair of jeans. I folded up my Yankees cap and put it in my back pocket and eager as ever, I ran to the Big House.

When I got there, I saw Chiron and Grover sitting on the wraparound porch, but I saw no sign of Percy.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Percy is receiving his prophecy from the Oracle. He should be down in a moment," replied Chiron.

With that, the front door opened. I swiftly put my cap on and stood behind Chiron. Percy made his way over and dropped himself on the chair. "Well?" asked Chiron.

"She said I would retrive what was stolen." was Percy's reply.

Grover suddenly looked excited. "That's great!"

"What did the Oracle say _exactly_?" said Chiron. "This is important."

Percy went on to say that he would go west to face a god who turned, and that he would return what was stolen.

"Anything else?" asked Chiron, noticing the short length of the prophecy.

"No, that's about it." he said. But I could sense that he was troubled. He was holding back from revealing the rest.

The conversation that ensued revealed everything that I had wanted to know since the winter solstice. Poseidon and Zeus had been fighting. Zeus's master bolt was missing, and he blamed Poseidon. Now that Poseidon had claimed Percy, _Percy_ was accused of stealing. "Now, Chiron thaought that Hades was the only one who could've had a motive for taking the bolt. We were to travel to Los Angeles. More specifically, _The Underworld_.

"Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you accept her help." said Chiron, at the end of it all.

"Gee," he said. "Who else would be stupid enought to volunteer for a quest like this?"

I took off my cap and returned it to my back pocket. "I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," I said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up." I said.

"If you do say so yourself," he replied. "I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?"

I felt my cheeks grow hot at the mention of what seemed to be my new nickname. "So you want my help or not?"

"A trio," said Percy. "That'll work."

"Excellent." Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own. No time to waste. I think you should all get packing."

I ran back to the cabin, not stopping until I was standing in front of my bunk. I pulled a backpack from under my bed, and packed an extra change of clothes, some toiletries, and my Greek Architecture book. I kept my Yankees cap in my pocket. I took my special celestial bronze knife that Luke had given me, that I had cherished ever since, and hid it in my shirt sleeve. Percy was loaned some cash and drachmas, and we set off to say our good-byes.

I was tackle-hugged by Nike, who was followed by the rest of my siblings. "Oh. My. Gods. You're finally here! Getting a quest! Oh my gods!"

"Are you sure about this?" asked Minerva. "Because, you know. It's not exactly time to go at the moment now. . . "

I sighed. Minerva was only thirteen, but when she had a bad feeling about something, it took her forever to change her view. "Minnie, I am 90% sure that I am doing the right thing."

"Ha! Only 90% sure! See?"

I rolled my eyes and laughed. I said my good-byes to everyone, to Alex, to Aleksis, and met up with Percy and Grover. We took a last look around camp, and then hiked to Thalia's pine. There we were met by Chiron and Argus.

After Argus was introduced to Percy, I heard footsteps and turned to see Luke running up the hill. I stopped breathing.

"Hey! Glad I caught you." He said. I could do nothing but stare at him. "Just wanted to say good luck," Luke continued. "And I thought. . . maybe you could use these." He handed Percy a pair of sneakers. "Maia!" He shouted, and the shoes grew wings and flapped around for a moment.

"Awesome!" Grover said.

"Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course,k I don't use them much these days. . . ."

"Hey, man," said Percy. "Thanks."

"Listen, Percy. . . A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just. . . kill some monsters for me, ok?"

He shook Percy's hand and patted Grover's head. That's when he took me in his arms and hugged me. I felt like I was going to melt right into his arms. After what seemed like forever, he let go and left me at the top of the hill.

"You're hyperventilating," Percy told me. If I could turn any redder, I would have.

"Am not," I insisted.

"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"

"Oh. . . why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?" I asked. Then I trudged down the hill and entered the SUV. I opened my book and read until Grover came in/crashed into the side of the car, because when he entered the car, I couldn't concentrate, because I had to repeatedly listen to a tune that sounded like "So Yesterday".

* * *

Soon we were out of the countryside, and found ourselves back in suburban New York. Percy would stare at everything in sight, as if he were in a dream.

"So far so good," he said. "Ten miles and not a single monster."

_Ugh. . . is he _trying _to get us killed already????_ I looked at him, irked. I really wanted to get a long, but with my parentage, I just couldn't let that happen. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."

"Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you," I told him. I was actually feeling like we were friends, but I really, _really_ did not want anything else to happen.

"Could've fooled me."

"Look. . . we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals.

"Why?" he asked.

I sighed._ Di Immortales, How many more times will I have to explain?_ "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is _hugely_ disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

"They must really like olives."

_Gods, you're hopeless, Seaweed Brain. _"Oh, forget it," I said.

"Now, if she'd invented pizza—_that_ I could understand."

"I said, forget it!"

We were silent after that, and Argus dropped us off at the Greyhound Station. Percy was ripping something from a mailbox, which suspiciously looked like a _Missing Child_ poster. I decided not to let it bother me. I took out my book as Grover and Percy had a conversation about marriage and something smelly, or whatever. Soon, after waiting for an hour, we played Hacky Sack with Grover's apple. I think I showed off a bit too much, bouncing the apple off of my arm, my elbow, everything else. I tossed the apple to Percy, who passed it to Grover. Then, the apple got too close to Grover's mouth, and he gulped the whole thing. Percy and started laughing hysterically, while Grover tried to apologize, but I didn't really care.

The bus arrived, and we found seats in the back of the bus. But then, I saw some familiar faces get on board the bus.

I clamped my hand onto Percy's knee. "Percy." I said.

The Furies had entered the bus.

* * *

**woohoo!!!! I SURVIVED THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!!** **I'M ACTUALLY WRITING FANFICTION PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE!!! I'M ALIVE!!!! (insert other random comments here)**

**haha i like the chapter name. creative, isn't it? XD**

**So. . . I'm working on my other fanfic (iPod shuffle thing), but it's going slow. **

**WOOOT!! I'm learning Greek. Isn't that kewl? My BFFE helped me. Now I can read the characters and pronounce the words. I just can't translate them. But I babelfish'd the Great Prophecy, wrote in in Greek, and put it on my binder!!!! I can read GREEK! Sorry, I'm just so kewl'd out. Thank you again for reading!!**

**I like the color Green. Why? It's the color of the review button! reviews are essential to my writing! Please! Flames not accepted. Constructive Criticism is. **

**Peace, Love, Fencing, and Pumpkin Pie,**

**~Sword-WieldingDemigod12697**


	8. I ENJOY My First Bus ride in Years

**Disclaimer: I. AM. NOT. RICK. RIORDAN. SO. I MUST. NOT. OWN. PERCY. JACKSON. AND. THE. OLYMPIANS.**

* * *

_The bus arrived, and we found seats in the back of the bus. But then, I saw some familiar faces get on board the bus._

_I clamped my hand onto Percy's knee. "Percy." I said._

_The Furies had entered the bus._

* * *

**I "Enjoy" My First Bus Ride In Years**

I kept my hand on my Yankees cap as the Furies sat in the front row. Two of them crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X.

The bus drove on, and we rolled on the streets of Manhattan.

"She didn't stay dead long," said Percy. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."

"I said if you're lucky," I replied. "You're obviously not."

"All three of them," Grover whispered. "_Di immortales!"_

I started thinking of plans. "It's okay. The Furies," I said. "The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem, no problem. We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open," said Grover.

"A back exit?" I said, but then I realized we were out of options as we approached the Lincoln Tunnel.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around," said Percy. "Will they?"

I was unsure, but the Mist was a powerful thing. "Mortals don't have good eyes. Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"

"Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe and emergency exit in the roof. . .?"

We entered the tunnel, and one of the Furies stood up. "I need to use the restroom," she said.

"So do I," said the second.

"So do I," said the third.

I would've laughed if I wasn't so in thought. They would come, looking for Percy. "I've got it. Percy, take my hat." I was shocked I said that, but I couldn't take it back and let him get killed.

"What?"

"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away." If anything happened to Percy, I would never forgive myself. No, it's not because I. . . I _liked him_. The quest would be over already. I would find a way to get Grover and myself out. I was a child of Athena. I could get out of this. **(A/N: That's hubris, her fatal flaw, for you :D)**

"But you guys—"

"There's an outside chance they might not notice us. You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."

"I can't just leave you," he said. That made me feel a bit better, for some unexplainable reason.

"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"

With trembling hands and a look of doubt, Percy put the hat on and disappeared.

The Furies came closer, and I kept my hand on my knife. They were getting closer. 10 feet. 8 feet. 6 feet.

Then, they morphed. Their jackets molded into leathery swings, and their gloves elongated, turning into claws. Instead of handbags, they were now holding flaming whips. People around us definitely saw _something_, because a bunch of people began wailing. I just hoped the Mist would work for us, not against.

They advanced on us and soon, Grover and I were surrounded.

"Where is it? Where?" they yelled. _It? What's it?_ I guessed they just meant Percy.

"He's not here! He's gone!" I yelled. They raised their whips and I drew my knife. Grover had tin cans. Brilliant.

I was about to attack, but then, the bus swerved and we were all thrown to the left. We slammed against the side of the Lincoln Tunnel, and after a time that seemed interminable, we got out of the tunnel and exited into a rural road. The bus suddenly braked, and we crashed into trees.

The Furies got up, and I waved my knife at them. "Pigainete makria!" I shouted. "Back off!" Grover started throwing tin cans, and I hoped Percy had gone, safe. Just for a moment, I was relieved that he was safe. I didn't have time to question why.

"Hey!" I heard a voice shout. I turned around, and Percy had taken off my hat, the Seaweed Brain that he is. The two other Furies jumped onto the seats and crawled toward Percy. The head Fury snarled in a heavy accent. "Perseus Jackson. You have offended the gods. You shall die."

"I liked you better as a math teache," said Percy. I motioned to Grover, indicating that we should look for any way to get to Percy, an opening, a space. Percy took out a pen. A pen. What the Hades was he gonna do? Write on them? Gods, we are in so much trouble. I was about to yell at Percy for being so stupid when he uncapped the pen and out sprang a three-foot long blade of deadly celestial bronze.

The Furies hesitated, but then the head Fury hissed, "Submit now, and you will not suffer eternal torment."

"Nice try," he said. I don't know how, but I could tell something bad was going to happen.

"Percy, look out!" I shouted.

The middle Fury's fiery whip wrapped around Percy's wrist. He slammed one Fury with his sword hilt and sliced the other. I jumped on the back of one of the monsters, and Grover got to work tying her up. We tied her up and pushed her into the aisle.

"Zeus will destroy you! she yelled. "Hades will have your soul!"

"Braccas meas vescimini!" he replied/shouted.

_Eat my pants????_ I would've laughed, but then, thunder rumbled.

"Get out!" I yelled. "Now!"

We ran out, and someone took our picture. We would have to worry about that later, because then I realized that we were missing something.

"Our bags!" Grover said. "We left our —"

_BOOOOOOOOOOM! _**(A/N: Now, I know that's what they say in the book, but how can you have an explosion without a 'boom"? Who's with me?)**

"Run! She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!" I yelled. We took off into the woods, not bothering to look back.

* * *

We didn't stop running until we reached a creek, and I figured we would have to go follow the water. They wanted to stop, but I wanted to get as far away as possible. I was still shocked that we had forgotten our supplies in the bus, and I knew it was my fault, forgetting. But of course, I didn't want to admit it.

"All our money was back there." said Percy. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

I blamed it on Percy. "Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—"

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"

I could've gotten out myself. I was smart. I was clever. I didn't need him. "You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."

"Sliced like sandwich bread," said Grover. "But fine."

"Shut up, goat boy," I shot back.

Grover proceeded to mourn his stupid "precious" tin cans.

We went on with a few minutes of silence, and I reflected on what had happened. I suddenly felt. . . guilty. I was sorry. I slowed down, going next to Percy.

"Look, I. . . I apprecieate your coming back for us, okey? That was really brave."

"We're a team, right?" He said.

_Yeah. A team._ I made myself admit it. Percy was a good friend.

"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood sicne you were seven?"

"No. . . only short field trips. My dad—"

"The history professor."

"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood _is_ my home." I wasn't ready to tell him about my dad. Not yet. Maybe, just maybe, if we got out alive, I would tell Percy. "At camp, you train and traing. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."

"You're pretty good with that knife," he said.

"You think so?"

"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."

Normally, I wouldn't want Percy to see this, but it was dark. So, I smiled. Maybe this quest wouldn't be so bad after all. Then, I remembered what the Furies had said on the bus: "Where is it? Where?"

"You know, maybe I should tell you. . . Something funny back on the bus. . ." I was interrupted by what sounded somewhat like a tortured, dying hummingbird.

"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" cried Grover.

Percy bumped his head on a tree branch, and we sloshed ahead into the mud.

Soon, I saw a neon light ahead, and I smelled food, glorious food. We trudged forward until we got to a deserted road. What I saw was a big warehouse surrounded by tons of stone statuary. I tried to read the sign, but it was red. And cursive. And of course, neon.

"What the heck does that say?" I heard Percy mumble.

"I don't know."

Grover looked up and translated for us: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

* * *

**DUN-DUN-DUN!!! Cliffy. Well, I don't know if you could call it a cliffy, cuz we know what happens. or do we? haha anyway, please read and review!!!! I'm sooo happy! I found out that me and my BFFE aren't the only PJO fans in our tiny little school. An 8th grader loves it, too. Awesome. Cuz usually i spring a PJO reference or tell a PJO related joke and people just stare at us while we laugh our asses off.**

**Anyway, love you all!**

**Peace, Love, Fencing, and Pumpkin Pie,**

**~Sword-WieldingDemigod12697**

* * *


End file.
